501st Heavy Panzer Battalion

The 501st Heavy Panzer Battalion (German: Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 501) (Schwere: heavy, Panzer: tank, Abteilung: battalion) was a German World War II independent armoured battalion equipped with heavy tanks. The battalion was the second unit to receive and use the Tiger I heavy tank, changing to Tiger IIs in mid-1944.

It fought and surrendered in Tunisia, reformed in September 1943, then fought on the Eastern front; destroyed, it reformed with Tiger IIs in July 1944, then mostly deactivated on 11 February 1945.

Tiger II #222 of SS Panzer Abteilung 501, Kampfgruppe Peiper.

Tiger I of the 501st captured in Tunisia, 1943.

Stalking Tiger Insignia

502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion – Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502

The 502nd Heavy Panzer Battalion (German: Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502) was a German World War II independent armoured battalion (German: Abteilung) equipped with heavy tanks. The battalion was the first unit to receive and field the Tiger I or Panzerkampfwagen VI Ausf. E. It fought on the Eastern front. It was one of the most successful German heavy tank battalions, destroying 1,400 tanks and 2,000 guns.

Crewmembers of a Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger of the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 poses in front of their tank in the summer of 1943.

German soldiers take cover beside a Tiger from the 502nd Heavy Tank Battalion near Narva, February 1944.

1943.

Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 502 prepares to leave the assembly area at Daugavpils, Eastern Latvia, July 1944.

Tiger from Schwere Panzer Abteilung 502 near Leningrad.

1943.

503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion- Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503

The 503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion (abbreviated s.Pz.Abt. 503) was a German heavy Panzer Abteilung (a battalion-sized unit) equipped with Tiger I tanks and Panzer IIIs. In 1944, it was re-equipped with the new Tiger II. The 503rd saw action on the Eastern and Western Fronts during the Second World War. As with other German Heavy Panzer Detachments, it was normally not assigned to a single corps, but shuffled around according to war circumstances. Later the Panzerabteilung became part of the newly formed Panzerkorps “Feldherrnhalle” as the Feldherrnhalle Heavy Tank Battalion, schwere-Panzer-Abteilung Feldherrnhalle (abbreviated s.Pz.Abt. Feldherrnhalle).

Tiger 231 of Lieutenant Zabel from heavy tank battalion 503 which was hit 252 times by fire from all calibres. During combat near Ssemernikovo, on the outskirts of Rostov-on-Don on February 1943.

Series of five impressive photographs document an engagement at Polgardi on December 23, 1944. The Tigers 2 column rush through the town without adequate infantry support, and the lead panzer- Tiger 133 is hit by hidden anti-tank gun. The hit kills the driver and radio operator. The pictures were taken by Unteroffizier Lochmann, driver for the company commanders panzer of Heavy Panzer Battalion 503.

Series of five impressive photographs document an engagement at Polgardi on December 23, 1944. The Tigers 2 column rush through the town without adequate infantry support, and the lead panzer- Tiger 133 is hit by hidden anti-tank gun. The hit kills the driver and radio operator. The pictures were taken by Unteroffizier Lochmann, driver for the company commanders panzer of Heavy Panzer Battalion 503.

Series of five impressive photographs document an engagement at Polgardi on December 23, 1944. The Tigers 2 column rush through the town without adequate infantry support, and the lead panzer- Tiger 133 is hit by hidden anti-tank gun. The hit kills the driver and radio operator. The pictures were taken by Unteroffizier Lochmann, driver for the company commanders panzer of Heavy Panzer Battalion 503.

Series of five impressive photographs document an engagement at Polgardi on December 23, 1944. The Tigers 2 column rush through the town without adequate infantry support, and the lead panzer- Tiger 133 is hit by hidden anti-tank gun. The hit kills the driver and radio operator. The pictures were taken by Unteroffizier Lochmann, driver for the company commanders panzer of Heavy Panzer Battalion 503.

Series of five impressive photographs document an engagement at Polgardi on December 23, 1944. The Tigers 2 column rush through the town without adequate infantry support, and the lead panzer- Tiger 133 is hit by hidden anti-tank gun. The hit kills the driver and radio operator. The pictures were taken by Unteroffizier Lochmann, driver for the company commanders panzer of Heavy Panzer Battalion 503.

The Tigers from Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 503 in Kharkov region in the summer of 1943.

503rd Heavy Panzer Battalion logo.

506th Heavy Panzer Battalion

Tiger from the 506th Heavy Tank Battalion.

Tiger from the 506th Heavy Tank Battalion.

Tiger from the 506th Heavy Tank Battalion.

Tiger of Schwere Panzer Abteilung 506 in Russia, 1944.

This Panzer VI ‘Tiger II’ from the 2.Kompanie, Heavy Panzer Battalion (schwere Panzer Abteilung) 506 was captured by American troops and restored to a running condition by company.

507th Heavy Panzer Battalion – Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 507

The heavy tank battalion 507 was an independent armored unit of the Wehrmacht during World War II, the first main armament of the Tiger I and later, besides a few Jagdpanthers, the Tiger II.

Tigers of the schwere Panzer-Abteilung 507 in an assembly area preparing for an attack to releive German troops trapped in Tarnopol.in the relief of Tarnopol in April of 1944.

508th Heavy Panzer Battalion

The 508th Heavy Panzer Battalion (German: schwere-Panzer-Abteilung 508), was a heavy tank battalion of the German Army during World War II, equipped with Tiger I heavy tanks. It fought at Anzio and later defended German-held Northern Italy opposing the Allies during the Italian Campaign. It fought in Italy until it surrendered at the end of the war in May 1945.

Heavy armored vehicles of the Schwere Panzerabteilung 508 in Italy in 1944 .

A rare color photo, taken in March-April 1944, showing a Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger from schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508 undergoing repairs in the Workshop Company’s (Werkstattkompanie) position in front of the buildings of the former “Arco” bomb factory near the Forte Tiburtino, Rome (Italy). The camouflage finish and crosses are just visible on the Tiger. The exhaust boxes and cover plates have been removed. The cover plates are lying on the ground to the right of the tank.

Two soldiers of Schwere Panzer-Abteilung 508 used their spare time for sightseeing in Rome (Italy) with their staff car, 20 February 1944.

Members of the 22nd New Zealand Motor Battalion, on a captured Tiger of the sPz.Abt.508, in the village of La Romola, Italy, on the 2nd of August 1944.

509th Heavy Panzer Battalion

The 509th Heavy Panzer Battalion (abbreviated s.Pz.Abt. 509) was a German heavy panzer abteilung equipped with Tiger I and later Tiger II Königstiger tanks. The 509th saw action on the Eastern Front during the Second World War. As with other German heavy tank battalions, it was never assigned to a single corps; but shuffled around as needed.

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